My Dirty Little Secret
by relapse-relax
Summary: INDEFINATE HIATUS.
1. Ultimate

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all of the characters.**

Chapter 1: You're It, You're The Ultimate.

"Alice." I wailed. "Will you _please _stop trying to make me a life-size Barbie doll? We have over 8 hours before we go out."

"Bella, be quiet. Look, you'll thank me for this later. But right now, just sit still and pass me them curling tongs over there, please." She pointed on her bed and a box with the tongs in it sat neatly on the edge. I reached over, grabbed the box and handed it to her before sitting down reluctantly. She grinned and plugged them in the nearest socket to heat up.

"Okay. Now while they heat up, lets get your makeup done." She reached in her cosmetic bag which sat on the table next to her. When she pulled out a thin tube, I almost shrieked. Well, I _did _shriek. "Alice. No. No way. You are not putting liquid eyeliner on me. If anything, use pencil. I hate liquid." She just laughed.

"Relax, Bells. If you loved me you'd let me do this." She stated and opened the tube, bringing the liner to my eye. She applied a thin line to my right eye and then moved onto my left. When she was done, she pulled out a pencil, but this time, when she was done applying it to my face, she smudged it a little bit.

"Where are we going tonight anyway? There must be some reason you decided to glam me up." I asked conversely. She laughed.

"We're going to Tulio Ristorante in Seattle. Then we're going to find a bar. Sound cool?"

"Yeah. I love Italian food."

"So do me and Rose, so that's why we reserved a table for 7." She finished with the eye pencil and instead, brought out some gold eye shadow. She gently applied it to my eye lid, and then up my brow. She then blended it with a light red. When she was finished, she stood back and admired her work. I smiled sheepishly at her.

"Oh, mascara! How could I forget?" She rummaged in her bag until she found the mascara and then gently, smoothly, brushed it on my lashes. She twisted the top back on and smiled.

"Now time for your hair. Are you ready for Alice Brandon?" She grinned and brushed a little section of my hair. With her fingers, she separated some of it and placed it inside the curling tongs. She pulled the tongs through my hair and then she pulled it off at my ends. My hair was immediately wavy. She continued like this throughout my whole hair and, when she was done, she covered my eyes with her hand and sprayed hairspray to make sure the waves didn't loosen.

"Now," she stood, "go and find Rose. She has your dress and shoes. Then come back here and show me how hot you look. Got it?" She grinned. I nodded and walked off to find my roommate, not bothering to look in the mirror as I walked through the hall. She was in my room, sitting on the edge of my bed silently. When I walked in she grinned and pulled me to my floor length mirror. The girl staring back at me wasn't Bella Swan. The girl staring back was a stranger.

Interrupting my thoughts, Rose sat me down on the bed and handed me a box. I raised an eyebrow and opened it suspiciously. But what I found inside made me both happy and in awe at the same time. I pulled my dress out of my box and held it up in front of me, running my hands over the sequins that ran from my left breast down to the waistline.

"Oh my- thank you so much Rose!" I ran up and hugged her. She laughed and pulled away from me. "H-how much did it cost you to buy this?" I asked, stuttering in awe.

"Oh, it was only 520. Y'know not that much." She giggled. It was worth more than anything I owned. I felt loved.

"B-but why did you buy it for me? You look so much better in strapless dresses."

"Because, dear Bella, you're too innocent. You should show off your curves a bit more. When was the last time you had a boyfriend?"

"Um…well, never."

"Exactly. Don't be afraid to show off your sexiness." She grinned, "Anyway, get your ass in that dress."

I unzipped the back and lay it down on my bed whilst taking off my shirt and jeans. When I was in my underwear, I slipped the dress on over them and attempted to zip up the back, but my arms weren't long enough.

"Rose?" I called down the hallway, "Um…a little help?" She appeared in my doorway within a few moments and laughed at me trying to reach down my back. She zipped it up for me and span me round so she could see. She grinned happily.

"Now all you need to do is take off your bra."

I hesitated and stared at her confused.

"Oh come on, Bella. Don't be a wimp." I scowled and drew my arm out of the left strap, doing the same to my right and twisting it around and over my head. I must admit. It looked better without the straps.

"That's better," she smiled, "now for the shoes."

She went over to a box and opened it for me, sitting me down on the bed and forcing a shoe on my right foot. I tried to protest, but she forced another one on and made me stand up. At first, I couldn't stand straight. I had never been one for heels. She made me walk in them. I could only walk a few steps before having to grip the door knob for support. She laughed and help me walk straight, stalking into Alice's room where she was teasing her hair. She looked at me through the mirror with a grin on her face.

"W-o-w. How hot are you?" She smiled and bought me to the mirror. My mouth hung open. I wasn't Isabelle Marie Swan anymore. I was beautiful.

I brought my fingers to my hair, fingering a wave in shock. It felt so silky and I almost burst into tears right there and then. I did actually start crying. My eyes were wet with tears. But when I felt my cheeks for the black streaks, I smiled. Good thinking Alice…

"Now for the finishing touches," they both beamed. Alice smeared some red lipstick on my lips and Rosalie added a bright headband to bring out my bangs. I was relieved that I looked so stunning. I actually felt and looked decent for once in my life. I felt like I could do anything. But then I noticed something.

"Why aren't you two dressed yet?"

"Well…you were the main priority, because we both know that if we let you dress yourself, you would just wear jeans and an old shirt. And that's not something you wear to a bar. We both have dresses, but they're nowhere near as hot as yours." Rosalie smiled.

"Wait a sec…why am I supposedly the hottest one? Why not you two?"

"Because you deserve it, Bella." In the second before I blinked, I could have sworn I saw Alice wink at Rose after her sentence. They were both fitting their dresses on and quickly applying makeup.

"Oh." I glanced at the clock. It was 4 in the afternoon. "So what are we gonna do for the next 3 hours?" We all laughed.

"Well, the limo should be here soon. We'll tell the chauffeur to take a slow ride along the beach before we strike Seattle." The way she said it, it sounded like we were on a mission. And what was that about a limo?…

Just as she finished speaking, we heard a car horn beep outside our apartment. Rose and Alice sprang me to my feet and I almost tripped from my heels getting caught in the carpet. When I flinched, they laughed and helped me down the stairs slowly. These shoes were going to be hard to get used to…

Outside, the limo shone as the sky was just darkening. It was early autumn, so the sun set a little earlier. There was a slight breeze in the air but it wasn't cold. It was reasonably warm for October. Alice and Rose helped me into the back seats on the limo and then came to sit next to me on either side. I noticed the champagne and TV in the corner. The driver pulled up the divider to give us privacy and he started driving.

"Well this is luxurious." I giggled. I wasn't used to this kind of luxury.

"Yep. I know. Who wants champagne?" Alice squealed and reached into the corner, pulling off the 3 glasses and pouring some in each. I took a sip immediately but gagged as I drank too fast. Not to mention the drink was sour, so it made my tongue tickle. They both laughed at me.

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you its sour." Alice grinned. I glared.

I looked out of the window and noticed the reds, purples and oranges that mixed with the blue sky. Sunset. It was beautiful, the way it blended with the now dark sea and light golden sand. There were a few people on the beach watching like I was, in utter curiosity and awe. The limo was silent as I daydreamed.

"Bella?" I span round to meet Alice's gaze. She was smiling.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to know why we glamorized you?"

"You said we were going to Tulio Ristorante and then to some bar."

"Yes, but that's not the _only _reason."

"What's the other reason?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Alice grinned.

"Oh, Alice…tell me. _Please._" I pleaded. I was anxious now. Stupid, yellow Porsche owner.

"Sorry, Bella. I can't tell you. It's a secret." She giggled and I glared at her. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alice give Rose a wink and stifle a smirk. I was more eager to learn about their little plan than I was to go through with it.

The rest of the way to the restaurant, we laughed and sang along with the radio in the back seat. My favourite was when Barbie Girl came on and everyone knew the lyrics. We danced in our seats and had a blast. But my good mood was soon ruined when we reached the restaurant: I found out about Alice and Rose's little plan.

"You put me on a date?!" I screamed at them as they walked away from my table and sat across the room from me. I was furious! Not just about what they did, but the fact that they put me on a date with, of all people, Mike Newton. I had known him since Highschool. Me, Alice and Rose had just graduated college.

I cursed under my breath as I grabbed the nearest menu and pretended to skim for a meal. I picked out the first thing I saw.

"I'm having smoked salmon ravioli." I announced glumly, sinking in my seat and looking around the restaurant. It was pretty busy. Mike looked at me confused, and then said he was having the same. I sighed and a waitress came round to order our drinks.

"Hello, my name is Shannon. I will be your server tonight. What would you like to drink?" She eyed us both quickly, then glanced back down to the table.

"Umm…I'll have a coke." I said and Mike said the same thing. I glanced at him, and once Shannon left, I decided to confront him.

"Why are you ordering the same as me?"

"I happen to want the same as you."

"Okay." I sighed and looked at my watch. It was 7:05. 5 minutes had passed and I already wanted to leave.

"You look nice tonight."

"I know." I said quickly. He seemed taken aback, but before he could say anything, Shannon arrived with our drinks.

I quickly slurped mine up. I could do without the small talk from Mike. I would rather eat on my own…

He watched as I placed my empty glass down and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I was too hungry to speak, so I fiddled with my nails until my plate was in front of me.

I ate quickly, not really tasting the food, and not keeping eye contact with Mike. He was the most boring male alive and I could do without his mindless staring at my chest. It was making me feel self conscious. With my luck, he announced he needed the bathroom and headed off to the men's. I felt relived to be able to eat without his eyes on me.

I hadn't noticed the music before. There was a pianist in the corner of the restaurant. He kept his eyes on the keys as I looked at him. He had short, tousled bronze hair and green eyes. He didn't look much older than I was. I continued looking at him until he noticed me, our eyes meeting. I blushed and scooped up a forkful of ravioli. When I looked again, he was looking at the keys.

I somehow couldn't stop staring at him. He was so out of my league, but I could not stop. He was so good looking. When he ended the song, he looked up at me and smiled, using his index finger to beckon me over. I blushed, walking over to meet him and he winked playfully at me.

"You looked like you were having fun there." He smirked.

"Oh yes. He's such an interesting guy." I said sarcastically and he chuckled.

"How's the ravioli?"

"I'm not sure. I was too busy ignoring Mike that I haven't really tasted it yet. How's the fingers?"

He smiled, "Oh they're just a little sore. My hours aren't up yet though." He sounded sad on the last part.

"Oh. Well after I've eaten, I'm going dancing. Hopefully, _without _Mike. If he dances with me, I will run away. And no one likes running in heels."

He chuckled, "Well I guess that's easy enough to explain."

I saw Mike walking to our table. "Well I guess I better go. He's back."

"Oh, wait, before you go, can I know your name?"

I smiled, "It's Bella." And then I walked back to the table. Now that Mike was back, I tuned out of his annoying voice and concentrated on my food. This made it easier to block out Mike's conversation with himself.

I turned around and saw Alice and Rose sitting, eating like they didn't even notice me. But I saw Alice's head turn a fraction toward me when I looked at her. I looked away for a second, and when I looked back, they were being served by a waiter. A pervert, I might add. It didn't take long for them to order their desserts and he walked away. I decided to go and talk to them.

"Hi, girls." I said as I sat in the spare seat.

"Hi, Bella. How is the date going?" Alice said this with a hint of humour in her voice.

"About that..Never. Put. Me. Through. That. Again." I said through gritted teeth. They laughed.

"Chill out, Bells. It was just a bit of fun. And besides, you seemed to be getting on better with Mr. Piano." Rosalie smirked.

I giggled, "Yes. But come on. Have you _seen _him? He's gorgeous!" I smiled and looked at him. He had a look of concentration of his face, but his eyes showed a hint of amusement. They followed my gaze and then looked back to me. They both had grinned.

"Oh no," I groaned, whishing I hadn't said that. They laughed.

I saw Mike get out of his seat and leave a 20 on the table. He looked bummed off with having to pay but this only made me smile. Finally, after all these years, he realizes what a boring and short focused person I am. Hopefully, I'll never see him again the rest of my life. But the day that happens, I'll be president…

Alice and Rose quickly ate up their desserts and they paid. As we were walking out of the exit, I caught the eye of Mr. Piano and waved with a grin. He smiled and waved back. As we closed the doors behind us and got in the limo once again, I felt flushed and happy inside. Alice seemed to notice and nudge Rose, who then came me a smirk. I just grinned the whole way to the bar.

"3 Cosmo's please." Rose said as she walked to the front bar. The man behind the bar eyed her chest with wide eyes before making us our cocktails. She glowered at him.

"Here you go, darling." He said as he placed our 3 glasses on the bar. She paid him quickly before he could ask for a tip. We sat at a small table in the corner and Rose ranted.

"The men around here are such creeps. There was that waiter earlier and now him. Just because a woman is wearing a dress that shows off her cleavage, does not mean that men are invited to perv on us." She glared at the bartender. She took a swig of her Cosmo and immediately hopped onto the dance floor. Me and Alice followed suspiciously. She was acting really crazy. Then suddenly it hit me.

"Alice? I think that bartender spiked her drink." I whispered, barely audible over the loud music. But she heard me.

"We need to get her out of here, now!" She said just as quietly.

I went onto the dance floor and reached for Rose's arm, which was outstretched in front of her. I tried pulling her away but she wouldn't move. Then I was suddenly pushed down by a fat man, and with everyone dancing, I was getting constantly kicked. I tried standing up, and when I was up, I saw Rose's blonde hair flowing behind her. I grabbed onto her, pulling with my strength until she decided to move. But by this time, Alice was helping me.

When we got her off the dance floor and into the breezy air, she was acting as though she was drunk, though she had barely drank half a glass.

"She needs to sleep this off. Otherwise, she's gonna get herself hurt." I said, helping her into the limo. I got in after her, and so did Alice. The chauffeur began to drive us back home to our apartment. Rose's head lolled to one side as she slept in the back seat. I stifled a laugh.

"Well that was some night out." Alice laughed.

"Yeah, I know. We spend 5 hours getting ready, to spend 1 hour eating in which I as really bored and about 15 minutes in the club. Totalling 1 hour 15 minutes worth of girl time." I sighed. "At least I got rid of Mike." Mine and Alice's laughter filled the backseats.

The drive home was quiet, with Rosalie sleeping, we couldn't really be loud. But it was peaceful, nonetheless. I was gazing out through the window at the blurry trees and people and I let my mind wander. I was daydreaming so much, that by the time we got to our apartment, Alice had to nudge me to break me from my trance-like state. I chuckled and we both held Rosalie as we walked into our apartment.

It was dark when we first walked in, but when I clicked the light switch, it blinded me with the light. I carried Rose to her room and lay her down on her covers. I didn't want to wake her up to get her in her pyjamas. And her tiny snores were adorable for a person so loud.

"I'm gonna go for a shower." I announced, getting my pyjamas ready and locking the bathroom door. I let the water heat up for a few minutes before jumping in. The water pounded my back and shoulders with warm water and it felt nice. Halfway through conditioning my hair, Alice knocked on the door.

"Bella?" She called.

"Yes, Alice?"

"I've ordered a pizza." This surprised me. I wasn't really hungry, but I was happy anyway.

"Okay. That's nice. What movie are we watching?"

"You can choose when you get out. I just wanted to inform you before you go to bed." I could hear the smile in her voice.

I laughed, "Well…thanks."

I continued with my hair, and when I was done, I stepped out and put a towel around me, drying myself quickly and slipping on my pyjamas. I tangled through my hair with a hair brush and towel dried it before going to the living room where Alice was waiting happily. I smiled and sat down next to her. I picked a good looking film from a pile of DVDs she handed me and pushed it in the player, waiting for the movie titles to start. Just as the production company's name came on the screen, the doorbell rang. Alice went over to answer it.

Alice POV

I ran to get our pizzas. I didn't want them to get cold. But as soon as I opened the door, I was speechless. Lost for words, completely. The pizza man looked at me like I had sprouted a second head.

"I…Um…here's your pizza. That will be 15." The blonde haired man smiled at me and I forgot to breathe. When I broke out of my trance by shaking my head, I handed him a 20.

"Keep the change." I winked and he grinned.

He had light blonde hair and it sat in little fluffs on his head. His eyes were a light hazel and they shined nicely when he smiled. I breathed silently. He eyed me with a raised eyebrow.

"Sleepover, kinda thing. Movie night." I giggled and I heard him chuckle.

"Well I best be off. Got loads more deliveries tonight. My boss won't be happy if I'm late."

"Wait, before you go, can I get your name?" I asked anxiously. If I was to ever see him again, I would like to address him by his name rather than Mr. Pizza.

"Jasper." He smiled and walked back to his delivery truck. As he drove away, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, biting my lip and breathing out loudly.

"Alice? What's holding you up back there?" Bella shouted through to me.

"I…Uh…Oh nothing. Here." I walked into the room and set the boxes on the floor. I opened mine and bit into a slice quickly. Bella looked at me, confused.

"Why are suddenly hungry? And why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"About the ghost thing…umm…the pizza guy was hot. And I didn't actually eat much at Tulio, so I'm sorta starved." I said through mouthfuls. She grinned at the pizza guy thing.

"What did he look like?"

"Blonde hair. Hazel eyes. Nice smile. Named _Jasper._ I mean, how hot is that name? It suited him so much. I was breathless." I rambled on.

Bella suddenly grinned.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just…Alice loves Jasper. Alice loves Jasper." She sang playfully.

I laughed, "I don't even know how old he is."

"But you still love him." It wasn't a question.

"Love at first sight. How realistic." I sighed sarcastically. She laughed.

We finished our pizzas, finished the movie and it was getting close to 1 A.M. I yawned, stood up and stretched.

"Well I'm off to bed. I'm knackered. Night, Bells." I kissed her cheek.

"Night, Al." She waved as she went to her own room and closed the door. I flopped onto my bed and clicked off my light. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.


	2. An 80's day

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all of the characters.**

Chapter 2: The Six O'clock Alarm Would Never Ring.

Bella POV

I woke up early and I was in a surprisingly good mood. I skipped as I headed for the shower, and whilst I let the water heat up, I sang along to a song on the radio. I left the radio on when I got in the shower, and sang along as the water drenched my hair and skin. The water was a little too warm, but it didn't matter to me; it felt nice on my skin. When I felt clean enough, I stepped out, towel dried my body and slipped on some black skinny jeans and a Washington Redskins sweatshirt. I combed my hair quickly and plugged in the hair drier to dry my hair. I then let my brown locks fall on my shoulders.

I walked to the kitchen, but first checking on my roommates. Rose's room was closer than Alice's. I opened the door just a tad and saw her laying face down on her duvet, snoring gently. I smiled and went to Alice's. She was a little more cranky in the morning, so she was snuggled under her duvet, pillow over her head. I giggled and went to make breakfast.

It would be a while before either of them woke up, so I decided to make bacon and eggs. I got everything ready, and cracked the eggs into the frying pan. Whilst they simmered slowly, I pulled out a tiny, barely used antique radio and attempted to tune it. When I finally found a decent station, it was time to fry the bacon.

An old song came on the radio and I recognized it instantly. My dad used to keep a lot of records in his house when I was a little junior, so I sometimes listened to them. The song was Daydream Believer by The Monkees. I turned it up and sang along quietly, flipping over the rashes of bacon.

__

Cheer up, sleepy jean  
Oh, what can it mean  
To a daydream believer  
And a homecoming queen

I drummed my fingers to the beat as I sang and fried. I liked being in a good mood. And I liked to be able to sing and BE in a good mood without 2 roommates disturbing you. I smiled. As the song faded to a stop, and the next one came on, I felt the need to dance. Walking On Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves. I grinned and sang and moved around the kitchen.

__

I used to think maybe you loved me, now I know that its true  
and I don't want to spend all my life , just in waiting for you  
now I don't want you back for the weekend  
not back for a day , no no no  
I said baby I just want you back and I want you to stay

I looked like a complete fool dancing in the kitchen and singing at the same time. But I felt happy and I wouldn't get caught, which was a bonus. When the song ended, I made my way back to the eggs and bacon and grimaced at myself. I looked childish, but it was fun. Another song came on. Nena - 99 Red Balloons. It wasn't one of my favourite 80's songs, but I sang along anyway, even if my voice was particularly bad.

__

You and I in a little toy shop  
Buy a bag of balloons  
With the money we've got  
Set them free at the break of dawn  
'Til one by one, they were gone  
Back at base, bugs in the software  
Flash the message  
"Something's out there"  
Floating in the summer sky  
99 red balloons go by

The song ended. Another came on. Michael Jackson - Beat It. This was one of my favourite 80's tunes. I smiled and swayed to the beat, waiting until he started singing. I sang along when he did, letting go of the frying pan to put emphasis when I sang the chorus. It looked rather weird. What's more, I jumped and knotted my legs together, spinning in the air and landing in front of the hob. I was quite proud of myself for not falling over.

__

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it  
No one wants to be defeated  
Showin' how funky and strong is your fight  
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right  
Just beat it, beat it  
Just beat it, beat it  
Just beat it, beat it  
Just beat it, beat it

When that faded, a new song came on. Call Me - Blondie. My mom was a fan of Blondie, so I knew the words instantly. I sang and pretended to air guitar. When I was done, I laughed at myself. I was being stupid.

__

Colour me your colour, baby  
Colour me your car  
Colour me your colour, darling  
I know who you are  
Come up off your colour chart  
I know where you're coming from  
Call me on the line  
Call me call me any anytime  
Call me my love you can call me any day or night  
Call me

I decided, then to turn the radio off. I would get caught sooner or later and that would be embarrassing. I stuffed the radio back in the closet it came out of; the closet no one ever goes in. It was quiet in the kitchen then, aside from the sizzling of the almost done, bacon and eggs. I smiled, Alice and Rose still weren't awake. I hadn't been caught.

I got three plates from the cupboard and scooped up an egg, placing it on one. I did the same for the other 2, and then the bacon. I poured 3 glasses of orange juice, getting out 3 trays and placing a plate and glass on each one. I grabbed Alice's first and headed up the stairs. She was still asleep when I opened the door. I smiled and then put the tray on her bedside table, leaning over her and shaking her awake, She looked startled.

"What the- Bella! Its 9 in the morning! And its Saturday!" She scowled and groaned, burying her face in her pillow. I laughed.

"Alice, I made you breakfast." I sounded cheerful. Then she sat back up. My work was done. I pointed to the tray on her bedside table and she grinned, taking a swig from her orange juice first. I went to start on Rosalie. This would take some work…

I grabbed the tray and carried it to Rose's door. I opened it with one hand, balancing the tray on my palm. She was in the same position as earlier. I laid the tray next to her bed and shook her. No response. I bent down, next to her ear and whispered in it.

"Rosalie Hale. Wakey wakey." She groaned. That always woke her up. I smiled to myself.

"Rose I made you breakfast. Its on your table if you want it." I opened the door and I heard the shuffling of the covers, so I presumed she'd noticed it. I was proud of myself.

I went back downstairs and ate my own breakfast slowly, actually tasting the food this time and chewing slowly. Soon, my plate was empty and I placed it in the sink to be washed later. I finished the remains of the orange juice and placed it in the same place I had my plate. I was still in a good mood, and I decided to do some cleaning, which I never did. It was a surprise for me.

I reached into the closet and pulled out a broom which no one used. I shook the dust from it and finally decided to use the radio again. It worked, and it had decent music. I plugged it in the wall socket next to our small TV and tuned it until I found the same station. The first song I heard made me grin sheepishly.

Footloose.

I grabbed the broom and rocked out with it whilst dancing and singing at the same time. I guess I was in an 80's mood today, as this was all I could do. It was such a catchy song to dance to, so I just couldn't stop myself.

__

Loose, footloose  
Kick off your Sunday shoes  
Please, Louise  
Pull me offa my knees  
Jack, get back  
C'mon before we crack  
Lose your blues  
Everybody cut footloose

I used the broom as a person, spinning it on its stick and twirling around it. I sang loudly, but still hoped that my roommates couldn't hear me. I used the broom as a guitar and pretended to play the chords on the tip of the stick. I 'strummed' on the end close to the brush. Then I pushed the broom behind my back and moved my back against it. I was getting way into this, but I didn't care. I then picked up the broom, span it around in my hands and danced around it, sliding my hand down the stick.

I was interrupted of my fun from bursts of laughter from the corner of the living room. Alice and Rose were doubled over in laughter. I dropped the broom, ran to the radio, pulling it out of the socket without thinking. The music went off abruptly. I then glared at my roommates through narrow eyes. That made them laugh harder.

I looked away, "Okay. I'm going out." I stood up quickly, grabbing my bag and heading to the door.

"Aw, we're sorry Bella. But that _was _funny. You have to admit." Alice said through a smirk.

I smiled, I suppose I was being a bit stupid. But, every girl has a secret fantasy…

"Where are you going?" Alice asked me.

"I'm not sure. Work…park…forest…mall…I'll find some place. Bye." I walked out of the front door and into the warm autumn sunshine. I walked to the doors of my car, slid in the drivers seat and started the engine.

I wasn't sure where to go. I couldn't be bothered to go to work. Surely my workmates wouldn't need me. I usually wasn't needed any other day. So, instead I headed to the park. It was a nice day, and I had some things to do. When I got there, I grabbed my things and headed inside the gates. It was pretty busy today. I found a shady spot under a large acorn tree: it was out of the way and it wasn't too hot.

I lay a blanket down and I kneeled on top of it. I emptied the contents of my purse and sorted through the pile until I found a pen and a pad of paper. I put everything else back in there until I noticed something. I certainly didn't put it in there. It was probably Rosalie. I held it up to my face and grimaced. She had put a packet of condoms in my bag.

I pulled out my phone and dialled her number quickly. She picked up on the 4th ring.

"Rosalie Hale, you are dead. Do you understand? Never. Ever. Put condoms in my bag again. Got it?" I shouted through the phone. I heard laughing in the background.

"Sorry, Bella. But you never know when you might get lucky." She then giggled and hung up. I was fuming now. I tried to calm myself down by writing a list of the things I needed to pick up in the mall later. But it didn't help much.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone. I grinned. I stared at them for a while until they met my gaze. I waved at them. _He _smiled and waved back. Then I looked down and tried to concentrate. But it wasn't easy. Not one bit.

I laid on the blanket and covered my eyes with my arm. I put my fingers on my temples and tried to concentrate. I felt something touch my shoulder and I looked up reluctantly.

"What are you doing?" He asked, standing over me.

"Trying to concentrate."

"Why?"

"Because I have work to do and since you looked at me I cannot think straight."

He chuckled, "Well sorry about that."

I groaned and rolled onto my back, closing my eyes and frowning. I gripped the edges of the blanket and tried very hard not to think of the man standing over me. It didn't work very well. I sat up.

"Ohhhh. This is useless." I rubbed my eyes and leaned back against the tree trunk. I sighed and fiddled with my fingernails, not wanting to look at the man next to me. Suddenly he broke the silence.

"Well I best be off. My shift starts in an hour. See you around."

"Wait, before you go, can I have your name?" I asked. He grinned.

"It begins with E and ends in Dward."

__

Edward.

I rolled up my blanket and bagged the rest of things I'd gotten out of my bag. I headed back out to my car and decided to go home. Work was not an option. And I wasn't in the mood for a hike in the forest. I drove home slowly, thinking all the way there. When I parked outside, Rose's convertible was gone. She was at work. Alice's Porsche was still there, though.

I walked in the apartment and slumped into the armchair, snatching the remote off the arm and finding something to watch. Alice came downstairs and sat on the sofa next to me.

"You're home early."

"I couldn't concentrate. Work isn't an option today. And neither is the forest. So I came home."

"Where did you go?"

"The park."

"Oh. Meet anyone interesting?"

"Edward." I mumbled, mesmerized by the TV. I saw her grin.

"Who's Edward?"

"Mr. Piano." I laughed.

I found a decent sounding TV program and watched for a little while before attempting to make small stalk with Alice. I was bored.

"Is Rose at work?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. So I guess you're not going today, either."

"Nope. Work will do fine without me."

"What do you wanna do later?"

"I don't know."

"Neither do I."

"I guess we could go out again."

"I guess."

Our conversations continued like this for the next half an hour, before I switched the TV off, bored of the show. I decided to make dinner.

"What are you making?"

"Shepard's pie." I said. I saw Alice's eyes light up.

"Good choice." She smiled.

She went to her room whilst I started preparing dinner: peeling and quartering potatoes before boiling them in hot water. I melted some butter in a frying pan whilst they boiled. I then sauté-d

onions in the butter and added all the other vegetables. After 10 minutes, I added the ground beef and sauté-d. I added all the other necessary ingredients before mashing the cooked potatoes in a bowl with the rest of butter. When that time was up, I placed the beef and vegetables in a baking dish and spread the potatoes on top, smoothing a fork in the top for a design. Then I placed it in the oven to cook. Proud, I cleaned the kitchen and washed the dishes from this morning.

"How's dinner coming along?" Alice asked me from the kitchen doorway.

"It's in the oven. What time does Rose finish today?"

"She should be home within the next 10 minutes, hopefully."

"That's good. I was thinking…how about we have a girlie night tonight?"

"Yeah. Sound's cool."

I smiled. That was one of the reasons I liked Alice. She rarely argued with me. She went with the flow. Whereas, Rosalie, although I loved her, she would argue until she got her own way. It wasn't really fair on the rest of us, but we put up with it. We loved Rose too much.

I was interrupted in my thoughts by the door slamming and in walked a hard-worked Rosalie. She grinned, sniffed the air and gave me a thumbs up. I was obviously a good chef.

"So how was work?" I asked her conversely.

"Good. There was a new guy in today." She smiled and me and Alice both noticed.

"Let me guess, he's hot?" Alice laughed.

"Yeah, pretty much. He was very tall. Very muscular. Probably a weightlifter or something like that. Cause he was _huge._"

I laughed, "We both know how big you like your guys, Rose."

They joined in my laughter.

"So what did you do today?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing really. I skipped work, went to the park and tried to write that damn list. But then I ran into Edward and I couldn't concentrate, so then I came home."

"Edward?"

"You remember yesterday at Tulio? The guy playing the piano? Yeah, him." I noted. She looked a little surprised.

"Oh. Alice have you met a guy yet?"

"Well…the guy who delivered our pizzas yesterday was pretty hot. He was called Jasper." She answered confidently. I listened.

"Aw. But when did we order pizza?"

"Well yesterday at the club, the bartender spiked your drink and we decided to head home. But by the time we were in the limo, you were asleep, and we didn't want to disturb you. So Bella carried you to your room and me and her watched a few movies."

"Oh." She seemed disappointed at the fact she wasn't included. But then the timer rang, signalling dinner was ready.

I took the Shepard's Pie out of the oven and grabbed 3 plates, cutting a few chunks out for each of us. Then I put the rest of the pie in the fridge. Placing the plates on the table, I was suddenly hungry and I started eating right away.

"This is really good, Bella." Rosalie said. I smiled.

"Yeah, thanks for making this. I could do with a girlie night." Alice said.

"No problem." I grinned and continued eating.


	3. Let's Make A Memory

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all of the characters.**

Chapter 3: Let's Make A Memory

__

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

I slammed my hand down on my alarm clock and pushed it off my bedside cabinet. It landed with a crash on the floor and immediately stopped beeping. I groaned and buried my head under my pillow and closed my eyes again. I tried to get back to my dream before I heard the door click open and someone bouncing on my bed.

"Alice." I groaned. I heard a giggle and wrapped myself in my duvet. When the bouncing didn't subside, I kicked my foot in the air and the next thing I heard was a loud thud. I curled up in my duvet and held my breath for the bouncing to begin again. But when it never did, I smiled and closed my eyes again.

Someone whipped back my duvet and my skin felt the cold air, and I got goosebumps. I groaned and turned on my back, slowly opening my eyes. Alice was stood on my bed, a grin on her face.

"Good morning Bella." She said cheerily.

I groaned, reaching over for my clock and realizing it was half past 8.

"Are you insane? Its half 8!"

"We have a busy day ahead of us."

"But was there a need to wake me up before 10 o clock? Its Sunday! What could we possibly be doing today?"

"You seem to forget that its almost November."

"Your point being?"

"Just get up and get dressed." She said sternly, a hint of amusement in her voice.

I groaned, running my hands through my hair to tidy it up a bit. Alice grinned and left. I stretched, climbed out of my bed and went to my bathroom. I run the water and when it was hot enough, stepped in and let the water heat my skin.

I was done in record speed. I quickly got dressed in my underwear, some jeans and a green 'Mr. Lazy' t-shirt. I ran a quick brush through my hair, then tied it up in a messy ponytail. I walked out into the living room to find Alice and Rosalie.

"Hi, guys." I said, fixing myself some toast.

"Morning, Bella." They both chimed.

"Where are we going today?"

"Shopping."

"Oh how fun." I mumbled sarcastically. I heard Rose laugh.

I made the toast and quickly ate it, taking a few chugs from the orange juice from the carton. I dressed in a white jacket and grabbed my purse. Alice decided to drive, so she picked up the keys to her Porsche and started it when we were safely strapped inside. We decided to head to Seattle.

"Alice, no I am not wearing that! Its completely see-through!" I complained. She was holding up a black party top: it had white stripes on the off-shoulder straps, a belt around the waist and the bottom had tiny waves on it. Although it was nice, the chest area was almost see through, even if I wore a bra underneath.

"Man, Bella, you're so stubborn. Come on! It looks hot on you."

"No. Its hardly opaque! Look at it, Alice. Even if I wore a bra underneath, you would still see through it."

I put my hands on my hips. She got the message, groaned and went to hang it back up on the hanger. I smiled, my stubbornness was a good thing when shopping with Alice and Rose, who could wear anything and make it hot. I, on the other hand, could only just pull off a prom dress.

I started wandering the shop aimlessly until I spotted a white and black dress, with a black string for the belt. It had white circles on it and, when I held it up to my body, it didn't look half bad.

"Alice, come look what I found." I shouted.

A few seconds later, Alice appeared next to me. She eyed the dress suspiously then clapped.

"Well done, Bella. Your getting to be quite the shopper. No go try that on. That's hot." She grinned and I returned her grin.

I stepped into the changing rooms and the dress fit so well. I couldn't stop running my hands down it.

"Let us see, then." I heard Rose yell from the waiting area.

"Hold on." I called back.

I flared the bottom of the dress out a bit and loosened the belt. I pulled back the curtain and let my two flat mates decide for themselves.

"This is it, you two. I actually like this one." I smiled.

Rose grinned, "I can see why. It looks lovely on you. Now all you need is some shoes to go with it. And of course accessories."

I huffed, and went back into the changing room. I shrugged out of the dress, hung it up, and dressed back in my normal clothes. I bought the dress back out and paid for it quickly.

"I'm hungry. Can we go get lunch?" I asked.

"Sure."

We found a nice café in the high street and once sat down, we ordered 3 coffees. It was hard to move with the shopping bags under the table. A waiter came over.

"Hello, my name is Eric and I'll be your server for today. What would you like to order?" As he finished his sentence, he winked at Rose and she grimaced slightly. I grinned.

"Umm…I'll have a salad please. No onions." I took a sip of my coffee.

"Ooh, that sounds nice. I'll have the same." Alice said.

Rosalie agreed on our choices and Eric walked away. As he did, Rose stared at his ass. I laughed.

"Like the waiter Rose?" I teased.

She broke out of her trance and shook her head quickly, "No."

Me and Alice just laughed.

"Whatever you say, Rose."

The salads arrived and we ate quickly, laughing and talking as well. When our coffees were drank and our salads were eaten, we paid Eric, giving him a tip from Rosalie, and went to get back to our shopping.

"I feel so fat. I ate Shepard's pie last night. Ravioli two days ago. Then I ate half a pizza. I had toast this morning. I need to loose a few pounds." I said, feeling slightly glum.

"You're not fat. Everyone likes to pig out some days."

"Ugh." I groaned.

We finished off our shopping with me getting myself a new bra. It was red with black lace around the straps. It fit perfectly and it looked really nice. Of course it was a bit too fancy to be wearing casually, so I would keep it for a special occasion. Alice started the car and drove home to our flat. We were home just after midday after starting at 9 o clock.

"Man my legs ache." I said, sitting on the couch and stretching my legs out.

Rose laughed, "You get used to it."

I dug through my DVD case to find a decent movie but when I couldn't find something to suit my mood, I threw the case on the floor with a huff.

I decided to go for a jog. I dressed in some tight shorts, a strapped top and some tennis shoes. I threw a hat on my head and grabbed my iPod.

"I'm going jogging. Be back soon." I stepped out the door and waved over my shoulder. I turned my iPod on, put it on shuffle, tied it in my pocket and began my jog. At first, the cold gently poked my skin, but as I jogged more, it started to warm up. I sang along quietly to my iPod, even though the volume was up on full. As I turned into the forest, I noticed Edward jogging the opposite way to me. I stopped in my tracks stared at him as he ran by. He seemed to notice me too and slow down.

"Fancy seeing you here." He said. I smiled.

"I think I could say the same for you."

"What are you doing here?" He asked me.

"Burning off my ravioli from two nights ago. How about you?"

"These muscles didn't get like this on their own." He winked.

I didn't quite notice his muscles before. They were quite big, and I'm sure, hard. I ogled his arms in shock. He caught me staring and asked.

"You like them?"

"They're very…muscle-y."

He laughed, "Thanks. I guess that's a compliment."

A blonde haired man appeared next to him and whispered something which I couldn't hear. I heard Edward laugh.

"Jasper, this is Bella. Bella, this is Jasper." He pointed to me.

"Umm…hi Jasper. By any chance do you work for Chicago Ru's Pizza?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"You delivered our pizza the other night. You remember Alice?"

He thought about my question and then a smile appeared on his face. "Yes, I remember Alice. Did she have short, black hair? And she was kinda small?"

"That's her. She's my flatmate."

A dozen emotions played across his face, before he finally settle on a light smile.

Jasper leaned over and whispered something in Edward's ear again, this time making him raise his eyebrow and shake his head no. Before I could ask what he said, another brown haired man came to Edward's side. He was very muscular and very tall, with large biceps on his arms. I gawked at him as he jogged over.

"Bella, this is Emmett. Emmett this is Bella."

I smiled sheepishly and fiddled with a strand of my hair. "Hi, Emmett."

After a couple of minutes silence, I decided to break it. "Well I best be going now. Rosalie will be getting hungry, and Alice cannot cook. I have kitchen duty." I muttered.

"Are you sure you can't stay? Jasper could whip you up a pizza?" Edward asked, his sadness obvious in his tone.

"No, thanks. We've been eating too much junk food lately. We need nutrition. Sorry, Jasper." I mocked, placing my hand on his shoulder. He rolled his eyes.

"Wait a minute, did you just say Rosalie? I think I know a Rosalie. Where does she work?" Emmett asked.

"Eagle Auto Repair and Towing."

"I know her. I started there a couple of days ago. She has blonde hair, right?"

"Yes. She works in repairs. Her dad was a mechanic, you see, so she learned a lot about cars when she was growing up." I said matter-of-factly. He smiled.

"So, like I said, I really should get going. Rosalie is a _terrible _cook. Alice isn't much better. I actually make edible meals. So..uh, I'll see you guys around." I smiled awkwardly and started to jog away. When I was safely out of their vision and hearing, I blew some hair out of my eyes and fanned myself. Not only was the heat radiating from me, but also, _their _presence seemed to make the air seem humid and hot. All three of them were incredibly good looking, but, out of them all, Edward seemed to catch my eye.

I breathed slowly, letting more oxygen than necessary enter my lungs. Once I gathered all my thoughts, I began jogging again in the opposite direction, heading home. Not only did I need a shower, but I needed a distraction from the 3 incredibly gorgeous men that stood just around the corner. I needed to get home as fast as I could.

I couldn't believe how fast I ran home, needing to get away from the three good looking men which I just spoke to. It seems that Alice thought exactly the same thing, as I burst into the living room, my forehead drenched in sweat, and a slight blush on my cheeks. She looked at me sceptically, eyeing me with scrutiny.

"I ran into a certain pizza guy named Jasper. And a certain piano player named Edward. And a certain mechanic man named Emmett. I talked with them for a bit, but I soon realized you guys might be hungry, and I know you guys can't cook, so I rushed home as fast as I could. But it seems that you're not hungry so I came home for nothing." I said in a rush, breathlessly.

Alice laughed.

"I think we should order another pizza. Requesting that it be made by Jasper. Who's in?"

Rosalie looked up from her magazine and grinned, "I am."

They both looked at me, "Okay." I said.

Alice ran to the phone, dialling the number as fast as she could, her fingers flying over the keypad. It started ringing and she pressed loudspeaker, all three of us eager to hear what she said. I didn't recognize the voice who picked up.

"Umm…hi. Can we please order a pizza?"

"Sure. What toppings?"

"Umm…pineapple and ham. Thin crust. Not too much tomato. And slightly soft around the edges. We like it like that."

"Certainly. Anything else?"

"Yes. If you don't mind, I request it be made by the blonde hottie named Jasper, please."

The voice on the other end laughed, "If he's not busy. Address?"

Alice told him our address. "We'll have your pizza with you within twenty minutes."

And then they hung up.


	4. You Drive Me Crazy

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all of the characters.**

Chapter 4: You Drive Me Crazy

Edward's POV

"Remind me to never go jogging again." I said as I opened a beer and took a large swig from it. I stretched my legs as far as they would go, and arched my back, running my free hand through my hair and breathing deeply. My legs ached immensely and I felt like I was going to sink into a pile of quick sand. My legs were jelly. And my arms were weak; I was only just able to pick up my beer without spilling it. My head was spinning and I just wanted to sleep for 30 weeks.

"It was your idea to go in the first place. So don't you dare blame us." Emmett said as he opened a bottle of lager.

"I weren't. But never let me do that to myself again." I mumbled, closing my eyes and leaning my head back.

Jasper laughed from somewhere across the room. "I think you should just stick to weight lifting from now on."

"Me too."

I tried to distract myself from the annoying aching of my legs and my thoughts drifted back to today. Back to when I saw Bella again. This time she looked even more beautiful, with a slight pink in her cheeks from the jog, and some sweat slightly lingering on her forehead. Her skin looked amazingly smooth and I wanted to reach out and touch it. To stroke it and pinch her cheeks playfully and caress her face like she was the only thing that mattered…

I shook my head. I shouldn't be thinking like that, 2 days after I meet her. I shouldn't be thinking like that, period. Although she was incredibly beautiful, I wasn't quite ready to admit that to anyone but myself.

I took another long sip from my beer. I could feel Emmett's eyes bore into me, but I still refused to open my eyes. It is easier to distract yourself when you don't look at it - or anything for that matter. All of my muscles and bones ached and throbbed. It would have been better for me to warm up a bit before starting my jog. But stupid me never thought about that. Stupid me just rushed into it, like I do for everything else.

My only way out of my big obsession with Bella was to leave her, to let her live a normal life. I would, no doubt, cause trouble for her. Not only that, but I would never be able to see her, as I worked abnormally long hours for a restaurant pianist. Midday to midnight. Everyday except Saturday and Sunday: I got to leave earlier then. 6 p.m. on Saturday. 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Sure, Bella and I were at the awkward pre-friend stage, but there was defiantly something between us. Like magnets trying to attract the other. Some sort of electric current pulling us together. It didn't seem much of a coincidence that we both were jogging at the same time, just in opposite directions. It didn't seem much of a coincidence that we met when she was on a date with another man. It was almost as if she needed saving from the date, and her friends weren't going to do that favour for her. If I hadn't been looking her way all night, I would have noticed her date earlier.

It was obvious the date was set up. She was almost screaming as she ate her ravioli in silence, not saying a word. Not once did she look in her date's direction. It was quite obvious she was suffering from boredom.

I was glad I'd gone to work that day. I was pondering skipping and calling in, pretending to be sick. I was this close to staying at home, but I realized that a lot of people could have been in Tulio that night, due to it being Friday, usually a very popular date for hungry customers. If I hadn't gone to work that day, I would never have met Bella. I would never have realized how interesting and funny she could be. I would never have realized how much you can become obsessed with a mere acquaintance. It seemed utterly impossible before I met Bella.

I opened my eyes. The harsh light from the TV was anything but feeble in our now dark living room. Emmett had switched on some mindless baseball game that I didn't like. Neither one of us really enjoyed baseball very much. We preferred football. The all heavy, hard sport where men in ridiculously tight shirts ran around, trying to tackle the ball from the other team. Very bland, I'll admit. But it was fun to watch.

Bella was wearing a Washington Redskins sweater the day in the park. The team which I supported. Like I said before. Coincidence? I doubt it. It was highly unlikely that we met for the sake of meeting. I say fate was on our side. Stupid, stupid, I know. But it was my only suggestion.

I saw Jasper get up from the couch and grab his work jacket.

"I'm going to work. I have the late shift tonight." He mumbled, shrugging in the jacket and pinning his name tag to it. He changed into a pair of jeans quickly and ruffled his hair just a bit. He grabbed my keys.

"Can I take the Volvo, Edward?"

"Sure." I answered.

"You know, Jasper, you really need to get yourself a car, man. You can't always borrow our cars. I'm thinking a nice Bentley Continental GT in white." Emmett said, placing his index finger on his chin and bringing his eyebrows together.

"I can't afford one of them!"

"I know." Emmett laughed.

Jasper grumbled and walked out of the door. He slammed it gently after him and the next thing I heard was the light purr of my Volvo's engine. The Volvo shot away and, aside from the quiet murmur of the TV presenter, the living room was silent. I sighed, taking a sip from my beer and stretching my legs out further. Emmett snickered.

I watched the baseball, but I didn't really pay much attention to it. When I saw that one of the teams was granted with a home run, I tried to pretend I was happy, but I didn't know which team it was. From all I cared, I could have been cheering for the opposing team. Baseball really wasn't my thing.

I finished the rest of my beer and took the bottle out to the trash, throwing it in the recycling, and hearing the shatter of the glass. I turned on my heel and went back inside, locking the back door, and turning off the porch light. When I walked back into the living room, I saw Emmett asleep in the recliner. I laughed, and switched off the light, muting the TV afterwards. This left me practically alone and I decided to fix myself some food.

As I heated some rice in the microwave, I wondered what Bella was doing. And I wondered if she wondered what I was doing. The thought made me smile.

The microwave beeped and I took the rice out, closing the door with my elbow and turning back into the dining room, sitting down on the edge of a seat. I began eating, and as the soft rice climbed down my throat and into my yearning stomach, I was lost in my thoughts.

Bella POV

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" I called to an eager Alice and rolled my eyes.

No sooner did I say this, I was staring into the eyes of Jasper.

"Hi, Jasper." I said, a little louder than necessary.

"Bella?"

"Alice, get your short ass over here!"

She appeared at the doorway in an instant. Jasper's eyes were wide, until they softened and a small smile crept onto his face. I tried to repress a smile, hiding my mouth with my hand. Alice noticed and poked me in the ribs, making me jump and gasp. I calmed down and glared at her. She giggled.

"So can we have our pizza?" Alice asked.

Jasper smiled, "Sure." And he handed it to her.

I dug around in my pocket until I found a 10. I gave it to him. He was about to give me my change but I stopped him.

"Don't worry about the change, Jasper. 3 dollars less won't do much harm." I insisted.

He seemed hesitant, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

He smiled and gave up on the change. He waved and walked back to his delivery truck, climbing in the drivers side and starting the engine, before beeping his horn as he drove away. Alice closed the door and was unusually gleeful.

"Do I really want to know?" I asked her.

She laughed loudly, "No."

And Alice, Rosalie and I tucked into our customized pizza.


	5. Steal My Heart, Baby

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all of the characters.**

Chapter 5: Steal My Heart, Baby.

I awoke with a deep groan. My head killed. My legs throbbed. My whole body ached. I grumbled and kicked the duvet off me, exposing my skin to the unusually cold air. I rubbed my temples. I felt like crap. I really didn't feel like going to work today. But since I passed on that offer last week, it felt almost compulsory for me to attend.

I quickly dressed in some jeans, a white, long sleeved shirt and a dark brown corset. I let my hair fall on my shoulders today, and I grabbed a jacket on my way out. Alice and Rosalie would know where I was. I was always working on Mondays.

I climbed into my 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS which Alice and Rosalie had bought me for my birthday. I loved my car. It was a deep blue and shiny, with stylish interior and a good, speedy engine. I went everywhere with it.

I silently drove to HMV. The radio was off, and I couldn't be bothered to turn it on. I liked the quiet, and it gave me time to think. My thoughts drifted to Edward. I wondered if he was thinking of me. The thought made me smile.

I pulled into the parking lot, and found a space between a silver Audi TT Coupé and a black Toyota Avensis. I didn't know who's cars they were.

I wandered into the shop, and grabbed my name tag out of the box under the register. I pinned it carefully to my corset and walked around the register, knocking on a dark brown door with a sign indicating that it was my boss' office. He answered, his brown afro a little more scruffy than usual.

"Good morning, Ray. Where do you want me?"

"Ah, Bella. We've been quite high on sales lately; work the cash register until lunch."

"Sure."

I started to walk away but he grabbed my shoulders.

"Would you like to explain your absence on Saturday?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

I pursed my lips, "Sorry about that."

He sighed, "Try to attend as often as you can. Profits are high this month."

"I assure you it won't happen again, Ray." I furrowed my eyebrows in disapproval. He obviously knew I didn't mean it.

He nodded and I returned the gesture, motioning toward the cash register, walking away from his intense glare.

Frank was at the register when I returned. He smiled when I approached.

"Hey, Bella."

"Hi, Frank." I said happily.

Frank was easy to get along with. However, people often misinterpreted him, due to his excessive amounts of tattoos, and his shiny, silver lip ring which clung to his bottom lip. He was a nice guy, and I considered us friends.

"Hows life?" He asked me.

"Good, I guess. Just remind me to never drink wine again before a work day."

He laughed, light-heartedly, "Hangover?"

I nodded. He pouted.

Just then, a stack of CD's were placed on the counter in front of Frank. He sighed, and took them away to sort, I assumed. I emptied some more change in the register and sorted them into the assigned squares. When I was done with this process, I tried to shut the tray, but as I did, coins spewed on the floor. I groaned, and bent down to pick them all up.

"Excuse me?" I heard someone say above me.

"Just a second," I assured the person.

I piled both of my hands with coins and stood up, not yet looking at the customer. I forced the coins inside the squares and groaned when they didn't fit. I pushed at the tray a little harder, and it fit, reluctantly, into the register.

I looked up to the customer. But then I jumped back when I realized who it was. I felt the blush creep to my cheeks.

"Bella?"

I smiled.

"Bella! I never knew you worked here." Edward said.

I nodded, flitting around the desk, for something to distract myself. I gave up when I found nothing.

Edward stifled a smirk.

"How come you weren't here when I purchased this CD?" He asked.

"When?"

"Saturday."

I laughed, "I took a sick day. I told Ray it'd never happen again, but it most likely will."

He looked at me in mock shock, "Bad Bella. Tut tut." He smiled a crooked smile. For a second, I was dazed. But then I shook my head, and steadied myself with my hand. With my hand pressed against the register, I didn't realize I had accidentally pressed the button to open the tray. And coins spurted on the floor once again.

"Oh, crap. I only just cleaned them up." I moaned, and bent down to pick them up again. I saw two feet come in my way, and I looked up to see an, unusually large, Ray standing over me.

"Bella…" He grumbled.

I sighed, "Yes, Ray?"

"Get these tidied up. That's the second time today, Bella. Do you not know how to use the register?"

"No, I do, don't worry. I'm just having a bad day." I stated.

"I wish I could believe that," Ray mumbled, then he was abruptly serious, "Get these cleaned up. Or you're working the extra shift."

I sighed, "On it, Ray."

Somewhere above me, I heard Edward laugh.

**Sorry its not very long, but I enjoy writing short updates. Because then I get to update more often. : I loved writing this chapter. Oh, don't we all hate Mondays? x**


	6. Its Me Against The World

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all of the characters.**

Chapter 6: Its Me Against The World…

"Are you gonna buy that?"

Edward looked down to the CD in his hands and back to my face, amusement buried deep within his eyes. He shrugged.

"No, actually. I brought Saturday. But it's faulty."

"Who served you?"

"I don't know her name. She had vibrant red hair, though."

I grinned, and went to the back of the cash register for a little bit. In the door, I called Victoria, and then, suddenly a bright red head was stood in front of Edward.

"Victoria, meet Edward. Edward, meet Victoria." I said.

"Umm…hi." Victoria smiled sheepishly.

"Hi. I purchased this CD on Saturday, but I found it to be faulty. Could I possibly have a replacement?" He sounded so formal, that I couldn't help but crack a smile. Edward seemed to notice and smile back at me.

"Sure. Do you have the receipt?"

He handed her the receipt. She read it and then signed it with the pen on the desk. She disappeared into the stock room for a few minutes.

"So how are things?" Edward asked.

"Good, I suppose. My hangover isn't good, though."

"Bad, bad, Bella. Getting drunk on a Sunday night." He mocked.

I rolled my eyes, "Everyone's a critic."

He laughed lightly.

Victoria returned and placed the new CD of the exact same kind on the counter. Edward swapped the faulty one for it. She smiled and gave him a refund. Before walking back into the store room, she whispered to me: "congratulations," and then she winked, and disappeared inside the room.

I leaned on the counter. Edward was staring at me. I grinned and stared back at him, allowing myself to get lost in his irresistible green eyes. Years could have passed, but it seemed only a few seconds, because Frank waved his hand in front of our faces, breaking my reverie.

He smirked. "Bella, Ray asked me to work the register now. You're stacking." He reminded me of my schedule.

I jumped and fiddled around with the paper on the counter, pretending to look for something.

"Okay, Uhh…just hold on a sec."

I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for, but I hated stacking, so I wanted to stay few extra seconds in the register. But then, as I lifted a box from the counter, a spider crawled out from under it. I jumped back and screamed, dropping the box in the process. A thousand smashes could be heard from the box.

I didn't know what I was more worried about: the spider or Ray's furious face. I was sure my expression was frozen in place. I couldn't move. I didn't dare move. Ray would be here any second, and I would have to witness his outrage.

I tried to gather the box to try and hide the bits of glass and plastic that slipped out from the open end. But it was no use. The box was well and truly destroyed. The contents were destroyed. And I would soon be toast.

I felt the anger radiating from Ray before I heard his words.

"Isabella…"

Crap. He never uses my full name. I'm dead meat.

I slowly turned my head around.

"I would like to see you in my office, right now." He said calmly, however through gritted teeth.

I sighed, "Ray, I promise it's not what it looks like-"

He cut me off, "No arguing. You. Me. Office. NOW!" He shouted the words at me and I gasped. I glanced over at Edward and Frank, and then back to Ray. I stuttered for words, before finally giving up making talk, and followed him, unwillingly, to his office.

As soon as we were safely inside, he slammed the door and fired at me.

"Bella, do you know how much trouble you've caused? In that box were the only 200 copies of Raven Ruby's debut album in the whole of the united states. The record company promised us no more copies if any get destroyed. And you've gone and killed every one of them. Demolished beyond repair!"

"I'm so sorry, Ray. Really. I am. It wasn't an intention."

"Then what's your side of the argument?"

"Its complicated."

"I have all day, Bella." He reminded me.

I sighed, "Frank told me I have to stack. I was going to go and do it, but I was looking for something. And then I picked up the box, and a spider skittered out from under it. I screamed, jumped and dropped the box."

"A SPIDER?!" He raged at me. I hung my head.

"I guess you're not going to see it in my sense."

"A spider?!" He repeated.

"I'm truly sorry. I'll replace every one of the them."

"No you won't."

"What?"

"You're fired."

I tried to find the words. I loved my job.

"I'm f-fired?"

"Yes."

"B-but…" I felt tears well up, but I forced them back. "Please, you can't do this." I pleaded.

"Bella…I don't _want _to let you go. But I have to. You've created an army between us and the record company. If they don't agree to give us more copies, the entire fan base of this band will be on our asses. All because of you and a stupid, puny SPIDER."

I was crying.

"Ray…please. Look. I'll replace every one of the CD's. I'll work extra hours everyday. I'll come to your house and do your wife's housework and chores and I'll sell my car to make the money…"

"I'm so, so, sorry, Bella. Really. But this is how it has to be. I-I'm gonna have to let you go. Please hand in your name badge."

I was crying as I pulled the badge from my corset. I held it out to him, and he took it. He placed his hand on my shoulder, looked at me earnestly and stared at me whilst I sobbed. Then he removed his hand and nudged me toward the door slightly. I composed myself enough to move and make it out of the door.

Edward saw me as soon as I walked out and I was surrounded by his arms. I cried on his shoulder, as he soothed me. I didn't think this as an uncomfortable thing, just mere friendship. He calmed me down and let me think straight on his shoulder. He let me go gently and let me hug Frank goodbye. This was probably the last time I would see him as an employee.

"I'll be back for some of my stuff tomorrow." I whispered in his ear.

He looked sad that I was about to leave for good - as an employee at least. I loved my job so much. And I had developed great friendships with the people I worked with. I would miss seeing them everyday.

I let go of him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, as a goodbye, in a way. I meant nothing of it. I waved and walked out to my car, sliding in the drivers seat and starting the engine. I drove out of the parking lot, and I sobbed as I drove home.

Both cars were still in the driveway. Alice and Rosalie were home. Which was good. I wouldn't be able to stand being alone when I just wanted to cry and rant and shout and scream. I hobbled up to the door, opening it ever so slightly, and I was greeted by the smells of lunch being made in the kitchen. I walked in, and found Rosalie, her face twisted into a grimace, reading a recipe book.

She saw me and rushed over to me, crushing me against her embrace.

"Bells…why do you look hideous?" She asked, with a lame attempt at bravado.

I just sobbed.

"Ray. He…he…fired me." I stuttered through tears.

She gasped and hugged me tighter, "Oh hunny! Don't worry about him! His afro is too big for his own head. What did he do that for?"

"I dropped a box. Inside, the only 200 copies of Raven Ruby's debut album in the whole united states were destroyed. If the record company refuses to give HMV another chance, then the band fan base will start a war, basically, on them. All because of me." I blubbered.

She hugged me again, "It wasn't your fault!"

"It was. I dropped the box. I saw the stupid, puny SPIDER skitter out from under it as I lifted it. I was the one who gasped, and screamed and dropped the box in the process. It's my fault if the fan base kill them."

"Bella…trust me. When you go back to collect your stuff tomorrow, he'll be begging you back. You're a spark in everyone's lives, and without you, Ray, and I'll say Frank aswell, they're lost. You're the core of their lives. You cause happiness in every way, shape and form. Don't you dare tell anyone different. Not even yourself."

I stared at her, that was probably the longest speech I'd her make. And I loved her for it. She proved my expectations stupid.

I squeezed her and wet her shirt.

"Thank you, so much Rosalie. I owe you. Big time. I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"Very. Just you wait…he'll be begging you back tomorrow."

And with that, she hugged me against herself and kissed my hair, while I was happily content at her words.


	7. And The World Is Winning

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all of the characters.**

Chapter 7: …And The World Is Winning.

The phone ringing from across the room startled me, and I rolled out of bed, in a mess of skin and sheets. I chuckled to myself, and reached over to my vibrating phone on the bedside cabinet. I saw that it was my boss, and pressed reject.

I quickly got up and dressed in some simple jeans, and a casual t-shirt. I tied my hair in a high ponytail, and put a baseball cap on the head, and threaded the ponytail through the adjustable strap at the back. I checked myself in the mirror before heading downstairs.

"Good morning." Alice and Rosalie chimed at the same time.

"Hellooo." I smiled, and started to fix myself some cereal.

"Where are you going?" Rosalie asked.

"I have to drop by work and pick up some of my stuff." I answered, pouring milk on my cornflakes.

"Oh."

"Plus, I need this months pay check." I said, lifting some cornflakes with my spoon and chewing them.

Alice danced off to the closet, pulled out the floor mop, and started washing the floor. Rosalie was sat at the table, watching the news on our small TV and drinking her morning coffee.

I finished my cornflakes, washed the excess milk out in the sink, and placed it on the drying rack to drip dry.

"Ugh, mornings." I groaned, as I sat on the counter.

"I know what you mean." Alice said.

"You know what I hate?" I asked.

"Mornings?"

"Yep."

Alice chuckled. I jumped down off the counter and grabbed my car keys.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" I said, tying the laces to my tattered pair of Converse All Star.

"'Kay." They both said in unison.

I smiled, and shut the door behind me.

RPOV

"I should get to work myself. Mikey told me I can't be late again." I said, finishing off my coffee, and placing it next to Bella's breakfast bowl. I went upstairs, and dressed in some ¾ jeans, and my work shirt. I slipped on some red heels, and I was ready to go.

I quickly retouched my hair, and put on some light makeup.

"I'll call you soon. I may be late home, I may not be. Bye!" I shouted, as I clambered down the stairs, and opened the front door.

"Try not to eat too many pizzas!" I shouted as the door slammed shut behind me.

Bella's car was gone. The ones left in the driveway was my BMW, and Alice's Porsche. I climbed into the drivers seat of my beauty, and soon, started driving to work.

I pressed the radio on, and sang along to a song I barely knew. I was in a happy mood. I stopped at a red traffic light, and the song faded to an end. Just as the light changed to amber, another song, a song I knew better, came on, and I sang along louder. The light changed to green, and I continued my drive.

I turned the corner sharply, coming to the familiar dump of a street which I passed most of the time. The houses had windows broken, bricks smashed, garage doors crushed. The place was a mess, and no one wanted to live here. That was probably the reason why most of the houses hadn't occupied anyone for a fair number of years. The teenage gangs vandalised the street in every way possible, and this was always a stop for passing police officers.

I turned out of the dreary place and into the more calming view. A large field, filled with horses, cows and sheep, was to my right, whilst decent houses, with average sized gardens, was to my left. This was a small village, belonging to the farmer who took care of the animals in the field. He and his wife owned the farm, along with their two twins.

I turned the corner again, the street which contained many apartments and flats, a nice little street. If Alice, Bella and I hadn't have gotten our flat where we are now, we were seriously considering this street. It wasn't so far from my work, and it was a nice, quality village.

I passed some bungalows, and I felt my car stopping slightly. I glanced at the gas meter. The arrow was pointing at 0. I groaned, and left the car to halt on the edge of the street. I pulled out my phone, and was about to dial Alice to come and pick me up, when I heard banging on the passenger door. I looked over to see Emmett.

"Rosalie?" He asked.

"Emmett. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"It's my day off today." He smiled.

My heart melted.

"Oh, I see."

"Now tell me. Why are _you _here?" He asked.

"I was driving to work, and I realized my gas meter was empty." I replied.

"I know a shortcut to the gas station. Come on, let's take my car." He grinned, and opened my door for me. I grinned back, and took no hesitation in accepting his offer.

As we sat in his oversized Jeep, I felt somewhat happy. I didn't see anything wrong with what I was doing, although I didn't know Emmett all that well. He was a nice guy, I liked him, and he acted as though he liked me.

We reached the gas station, and I tried to reassure Emmett that I would pay for the container, but he refused. Eventually, I gave in. He seemed happy paying, and I found it incredibly sweet when he did. I was smiling the entire drive back to the street.

I walked over to my car, and, ever so subtly that even I barely noticed, my chest seemed to stick out a little more than usual. That usually never happened unless my heart knew I liked someone.

I started to pour the gasoline into my car, when I felt Emmett come up behind me and steady my hand. I guess he saw that I was shaking slightly. His hand was warm, and his palm was sweaty. I could feel it against my fingers. When I knew I had enough gas in my car, I put the top on the container, and handed it to him, but he stopped me by holding out his hand.

"Keep it."

"But you paid-" I started to say, but he stopped me.

"Think of it as a gift from me." He smiled, and I couldn't help smiling back.

I hopped into the drivers seat, and my car purred into life again. I waved to him as I pushed the car forward. He waved back. As I continued my journey to work, I felt, secretly, over the moon.

BPOV

"Good morning, Frank." I smiled as I walked into HMV, and to the desk. He smiled at me whilst sorting through large piles of paper. I felt someone tapping his hand on my shoulder, and I twisted my head to find Ray grinning at me.

"Good news, Bella. The record company is giving us brand new copies. They believed your story. Sorry for firing me, it was a total misunderstanding." He looked guilty.

"Oh, I suppose that is good news. I'm supposing you want me to go now, right?" I asked.

"No, actually. Well…now that everything has turned out to be okay, we'd love to have you back. You're valued here." Ray beamed.

I hesitated, "I'm not sure what you mean, Ray. Yesterday, you told me that it would be all my fault if the record company refused to give us new CD's."

"I see your point. But, I regret saying such things. And I would like to hire you again." He smiled.

I breathed, and looked at the floor.

"You see, Ray. The thing is. I don't know whether I _want _the job back. You fired me. Now, you want me back when you told me yesterday that you would have to let me go. You're acting as though it never happened, and have totally forgiven me just like that. I'm sorry Ray, but I'm declining your offer. Thanks, though." I said, and I wandered behind the counter, grabbing my name tag, and my things that I would need. As I was about to walk out of the shop, I stopped, turned around and faced Ray again.

"Oh, and I expect my pay check tomorrow morning in my letterbox. You know my address." I smiled at Frank, waved and walked out of the door.

On my way back to the car, I wasgrinning. For some off, incongruous reason, I was happy about having no job. I figured it was just a regular head cold.

**long time, no update, eh? :) finally got around to finishing it. sorry this one is suckier than usual, but I wanted to get some RosaliexEmmett in it. its different, being the mind of Rosalie Hale, let me say that at least. **

**Review please! **

**Love. x**


	8. Makeover!

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all of the characters.**

Chapter 8: Makeover!

JPOV

I wandered the street. No one was home at the flat. Emmett had gone out. Edward was at work. It was my day off. I had no idea what to do in a deserted flat, and I had no urge to go to work again. I was thinking of Alice. And as I wondered what she was doing, I smiled.

I figured I'd go shopping. There was nothing better to do. I needed new clothes anyway.

I walked into a designer store, to find a brown, curly haired girl behind the counter. She was reading a book. The store was empty. A song was playing quietly from hidden speakers. I could tell, from the smooth materials and stylish stitches, that the clothes up for sale were expensive. I wandered to the counter. The girl placed her book down.

"Hi, do you sell any modern, stylish clothes that would suit me?" I asked politely. She took one look at me and smiled.

"I have the perfect combination. Follow me."

She lead me to the back of shop, and to a rack of black skinny jeans. She looked at my lower half briefly, then picked out a pair close to the back, and hooked them over her arm. She lead me to the shirts. The plain grey one she picked out was stylish and looked comfy. She hooked it over her arm also. Finally, she lead me to another shirt; this time it was a checked button-up.

"Go and change. I'll sit here." She said, as she pushed me into a cubicle and pulled the curtain across. I shrugged and pulled off my shirt.

The grey one fit immensely well and I loved wearing it. I slipped the checked one over the top, and left the first two buttons open. I rolled the sleeves up and straightened it out.

I pulled the jeans up to my waist, and buttoned them. They fitted amazingly. I turned and looked in the mirror and my mouth fell open. I immediately realized who wore this before me, and I grinned.

I pulled back the curtain.

"So, you give me Nick Jonas' outfit, that he wore in that photo shoot with his brothers," I paused, "How did you think of that?"

"I'm a fan of the Jonas Brothers." She smiled warmly. "I'm Jessica, by the way."

"I'm Jasper."

I stroked the clothes absentmindedly.

"How much are these?" I asked.

"Together, they're 102.99." She said.

I thought for a second.

"Do you take debit cards?"

"Sure."

I smiled and reached for my card.

She swiped it for me, and gave me my receipt. I smiled and thanked her for her help. She returned the gesture. All I needed now, were some shoes, a new haircut, and I would be set. I wandered into the nearest shoe shop.

I walked aimlessly for a little until I found a decent pair of Vans that fit nicely. They went with the outfit, and they were the same shoes Nick had worn on the photo shoot. I paid for them

The men's salon down the street was fairly empty, which is how I liked it, because I could get served first. I sat down in a seat, and an orange haired girl came up behind me after a while. She had a strong southern accent and a tender face.

"Hey, I'm Hayley. How would you like your hair?" She asked.

"Surprise me." I said.

She looked slightly shocked, but then her eyes softened and she smiled, which made her eyes wrinkle slightly.

She began her work. I could feel her snipping at my hair from time to time, and I was afraid she would make it worse. But I began to trust her more when I saw the style she was applying. When she had almost finished, she plugged in some straighteners to a near socket, and let them heat up a bit.

"In for a makeover, are we?" She asked.

"Sort of." I said.

She started to straighten my hair a little. She was happily chatting to me, but I wasn't listening very much.

"-and of course she was all bitchy about it, but he didn't give one really-"

And then suddenly, I felt a surge of pain, and I yelped quietly. She snapped out of her story, and moved the straighteners away from my head. I had a red mark where the heat had touched my skin.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'll give you 10 off." She flitted around, and started straightening again.

She finished, and unplugged the heat makers. I saw in the mirror, the new transformed me, with my new 'emo' fringe and short layers, wearing a much better outfit, including new shoes. I smiled.

"Thanks. And don't worry about the 10 thing. Keep the change." I paid her, and left the salon. And then, just as I was about to cross the road, Alice caught my eye. However, she just looked away.

_Oh dear_, I thought.

**_for some reason, I like the idea of an emo Jasper. :)_**

**_Review, my loves. x_**


	9. You Hang Up' Kinda Love

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all of the characters.**

Chapter 9: We Got That 'You Hang Up' Kinda Love.

"Alice!" I shouted after her as she entered a shop. She paused, and turned slightly. She looked a bit confused.

"Do I know you?"

"Well, let's see. You met me when I delivered a pizza to your apartment, and you were wearing pink pyjamas with bunnies on them. I figured out your name when I stood talking with Bella the time she went for a jog. When I appeared in work the next day, I find a request with your name on it waiting for me. You ordered a pineapple and ham pizza, thin crust with no tomato and slightly soft. Alice, it's me." I said.

Her eyes went wide, "Oh. Jasper!" She ran up to me, as if she was going to give me a hug, but then stopped herself. I smirked. She went a little red.

"What did you _do_?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"Well, let's see. You're wearing clothes I never thought you'd wear, with a brand new haircut that covers your right eye. Jasper, what have you done?" She mocked.

I chuckled, "I needed a change."

She smiled, "It's gonna be hard to get used to. But I like it."

I stuck my tongue out.

"What are you doing at the mall? Aren't you supposed to be at work?" I asked.

"It's my lunch break. I always come to the mall during my lunch break." She stated.

I chuckled lightly.

We talked for a bit as we walked around the mall, occasionally me spotting something I liked and her judging it. We weren't really getting to a destination, just walking aimlessly. Alice spotted a cosy looking coffee house situated in the corner between a gadgets shop and a music shop. I decided to follow her in, but she didn't mind.

We sat at a small 2-seated table near the back.

"So tell me about yourself." I asked her.

She straightened for a minute and then breathed, "Well. I work as a ceramic decorator, where I decorate ornaments and stuff. I majored in Art when I went to college and one of my professors suggested I take ceramic design, and I did, and I've worked the same job since I graduated. I live in an apartment with my two best friends, Bella and Rosalie, who I met in Highschool. Rosalie, Bella and I went to the same college. Rose took mechanics and Bella took English. We shared a dorm, along with two other boys who I haven't seen in years." She took a breath, "My favourite pastimes are shopping, and of course, decorating." She smiled. "But enough about me. Tell me about you."

"Well, I work as a chef/delivery guy, where I prepare and cook pizzas, then deliver them to the requested destination. At college, I majored in Psychology, but, when I realized I wasn't improving, I changed my mind and decided to try cooking. I got along much better and I excelled to one of the best. I live with my best friends Edward and Emmett in an apartment not too far from yours. We met in college, where Edward was majoring in music, and Emmett in mechanics. We shared a dorm with a nerdy girl who only left her room to go to class. I haven't seen her in quite a while. My favourite pastimes are cooking and reading." I smiled.

We sat there for what seemed like hours, expressing our pasts, fears, futures, friends and family. By the time we finally finished our conversation, the shop was almost empty and the employees were about to pack away. I was shocked. Not only by the fact that I had had a 4-hour conversation with a mere acquaintance, but also because we had sat and neither of us had recognized the time, the shop or even the people. It was just us two.

I said goodbye to her and I headed home. As I rounded the corner into our street, a smile spread across my face.

__

Let's see what the guys think of this!

APOV

_"Tackle him. TACKLE HIM! Ohhhh, no. Damnit, we could have scored then! Come _on_ Redskins! I know you can do- Yes! Ha, the Redskins put you to shame, Gators! Go Washington!" _

I chuckled to myself. Bella was always the one for football. She thinks she inherited it from her father, who was quite a football fanatic. She went to a game when she was younger with him, and she's been hooked since. I walked down the hallway, and walked into the living room, to find Bella sitting on the edge of the sofa, her eyes glued to the TV. She noticed me and smiled.

"Hey Alice."

I waved.

She continued watching the game, and shouting at the TV. I could hear her from the kitchen. I chuckled. She was crazy, but I loved her. I decided to cook some dinner and then get started on a new project of mine. I mashed some potatoes and then chopped some carrots. I found some chicken nuggets in the fridge and cooked them. After about half an hour, the dinner was set and prepared, and I got 3 plates from the cupboard. Just as I was putting equal amounts of nuggets on each plate, Rosalie walked in and rolled her eyes, I presumed, after hearing Bella. She gave one look at a plate and smiled.

"BELLA! Dinner!" I shouted. She ran into the kitchen and switched on the tiny TV that hung in the corner. She sat the closest to it. I rolled my eyes. That girl and her football… Rosalie and I talked quietly as Bella barely touched her food, from being too involved in the game. Finally, after another half hour, the game came to a stop, the Redskins winning.

"You see guys. Them winning is obviously a sign of destiny. They've won every game these past 2 weeks. It's all planned. And when they come to Seattle in a couple of days, they're gonna blow the place up…" Bella rambled as she washed the dishes. Rose and I giggled slightly.

3 dishes, 4 glasses and 2 mugs later, the dishes were done and Bella had gotten over her hyper attitude. She seemed almost bored now.

"How was work today?" She had asked me earlier.

"It was…interesting." I smirked.

"In which way?"

"Good. Always good."

At that point, I had remembered I needed to start my decoration for a new egg cup which my boss had assigned me to do. I snuck upstairs to my room and began to work on my designs - a row of pink roses along the bottom of the oval, followed by a row of leaves and yellow daffodils, followed by a row of red tulips, poppies and pansies. By the top of the oval, a few leaves and flowers scattered in a random way, followed by light blue along the rim. When I was done, I placed the paintbrush down and stretched my fingers. I was very proud of my work.

Bella and Rosalie had gone to bed earlier and the apartment was dark apart from the light that was above me. I switched it off and clambered under my duvet. It was warm and soft. I snuggled into it and wrapped it around me, until I was completely enveloped by it. I smiled, placed my head just a little off the edge of the pillow and closed my eyes. I fell asleep almost instantly.

**I know its short, but think of it this way: the less I write, the more I update! :)**

**review x**


	10. Note

**Ok. I need help from the fellow Americans that read my story.**

**I have an idea for the next chapter and for me to get it completed, I need a list of several products of American food. See, I'm British, so I have no idea what your stores sell. **

**In fact, I also need the name of a grocery store.**

**If this story were based in England, I would be able to post this chapter right now, but because it's not, I'm stuck and I need help. Any sorts of food is acceptable. I just need stuff like makes of candy, icecream, butter, bread... you get the idea.**

**You can post a review or message me. I don't mind. **

**Thanks so much.**

**x**


	11. I'm Back!

**Bonjour fellow Fanfictioners.**

**So, I'm back, and I'm fired with ideas. I actually had the most amazing idea and just had to write it, so now it's turned into the ending of this story. But don't stress. That won't be for a very long time yet.**

**I'm so happy to be here again. I missed this place so much. To be truthful I haven't really written much at all since I posted my last note. Just a few things here and there. But not much. I promise to anyone that reads this totally unplanned story that I will update as soon as humanly possible. **

**I do write original fiction too. And so I need to find time to write that, as well as continue to update the many stories I have going on all at once. Its A Bella Edward Thing will be resumed soon, along with (hopefully) You Inspired This One. I know I said I wasn't going to carry on with it but I've played around with a few ideas and I'm fairly positive that I can make them work. Give me time though, folks. I am, of course, only human. **

**Anyway. I'm back. I'm amazed you guys are still here; I was getting a bit paranoid I might not have any readers. Thankyou. :)**

**So right now, I am going to go back to writing the updates that you read and then I'm going to plan my birthday party. Woo!**

**Hasta La Vista. x**


	12. Ghostbusters!

Sun. It was lovely. For once in Forks, it was actually sunny. It was lighting up the whole town. I smiled to myself as I strolled along the beach. I always wandered the beach. It was something I liked to do when I wanted to just sit and stare at the waves. So that's exactly what I was doing. Sitting on a broken tree trunk and just thinking.

I was wearing knee-length shorts and a green hoodie, along with my tattered pair of Converse. I was at La Push beach, on the Indian reservation. I hadn't been here in a while. My hair was tied into an untidy bun.

"Bella!" I was awoken out of my daydream from a voice near me. I looked around and noticed an old friend heading towards me.

"Jacob?" I asked.

The boy nodded.

Jacob was my old friend who I met when I was in High School; I hadn't seen him in a while.

"Jacob! What are you doing here? I thought you moved out of La Push." I gave him a small hug.

"I did."

He didn't say anything else. So I prompted him.

"Then why are you here?" I didn't mean for it to sound as rude as it did.

He chuckled, "I'm visiting. My girlfriend's mother lives here, so I came with her."

I smiled. The last time I had seen Jacob he didn't have a girlfriend.

"That's cute." I grinned, "So what brings you to La Push beach?"

"Mol wanted to spend some quality time with her parents considering she hasn't seen them in 3 years." He said quietly.

"Where's she been?"

"College. Drama degree." He said proudly.

I smiled, "How nice."

There was a slight silence before he eyed me and I began to feel abruptly self-conscious.

"What about you? Why're you here?" He asked me.

I shrugged, "No reason. It's just a quiet place to relax. Plus, I don't want to be stressed at the party tonight."

"Party?" He questioned.

"Halloween. At Rose's work."

"Halloween was on Friday. Why now?"

"Rose's work was closed on Friday because the boss went to a meeting in D.C.. No work on Saturday or Sunday. And not Monday because the boss' wife went into labor." I explained and he smiled.

"I see. What are you going as?"

"A witch. I happen to the have the skill on a broomstick and a fabulous outfit." I giggled.

At that point, his phone rang I stared at the sea quietly. It was great seeing Jacob so happy. When he turned 19 he moved away to college to be a sportsman. I went to college on the other side of the country and I never got to see him.

On days when Alice, Rose and I wouldn't be getting along, I could always confide in Jacob. I would send him a text message usually saying 'meet me beach in 5' and he would listen as I let out my frustration. He was like the brother I'd never had. My best friend.

I remembered the time Alice and Rose were out of town and I invited Jacob over for a movie marathon. He turned up half hour late and the movie had already started. He ate all the popcorn and hogged the couch. But it was still special, because it was just us. Another special time was when I went with him to the zoo, and when we were looking at the gorillas, he started imitating it: banging his chest, picking things out of my hair, scratching his armpits and head at the same time. The gorilla didn't seem to think it was as amusing as I did, and flopped itself onto the glass, reaching out of the gap at the top, and stealing Jacob's ice-cream which he paid 7 dollars for. I went home with tears in my eyes.

I liked them times, when all you had to worry about were what results you got for your history final, or whether you'd done your homework or not. Getting work, paying the bills were all part of the 'adult' life after leaving college.

Hectic, or what?

"Okay then. I'll see you soon. Love you."

Pause.

Jacob laughed before saying 'bye' and then hanging up.

"Mol wants me back home. We're having dinner. So. I guess I'll see you around some time." He said awkwardly. I faintly smiled.

"I'll miss you. Come back soon?" I asked.

He smiled widely, "Would I leave you, Bells?"

I gave him a large hug, before pulling off and looking a little embarrassed. He didn't seem to mind.

"Your hugs. I forgot how nice they were." He said.

"So I've been told." I giggled.

And then, just before he turned away, he gave me a small kiss on the cheek.

**so I finally updated. sorry it's short. **

**review please :) x**


	13. Who wants to see RPattz shirtless?

**Haha. Fooled you. Now you're here, I expect you to continue reading this :D**

**So it's 3 days until Christmas, which I'm uber excited for. Time for the double chocolates in the advent calender. Lol. Who knows what they're getting on Thursday then? Anything fancy? Anything expensive? I'm sure loads of you have done it by now, but I snuck a look in my parents bedroom for my prezzies. I know one thing I'm getting. Camp Rock ftw. x)**

**And did anyone else find Twilight a huge disappointment? The movie, I mean. It kind of made me think of how books turned into movies are bad. They ruin the imagination tbh. And although I am a loyal Twilight fan and I would die for the books, the movie truly did disappoint me.**

**But enough negativity! You'll be pleased to know that I have a few ideas up my sleeve for this story. All I have to do is edit them into one big idea and soon this fanfic will take you in a whole new direction. I have two weeks to do it. I reckon I can make it.**

**This was just a quick update. So I'll stop boring you to death now and leave you to ponder what amazing ideas I have in my head. **

**Merry Xmas.**

**xo**


	14. Memories

**I promised you an update, and I don't betray promises.**

Chapter 11: Memories.

It was when I got home that the problems began. Rose and Alice were perched nervously on the edge of the sofas, both dressed in their Halloween dresses. I gave them a puzzled look when I walked into the room.

"Who died?" I asked to try and lighten the atmosphere.

"My boss is at the hospital." Rose cried.

I suddenly felt very sympathetic and regretted my last words.

She told me about the accident. It seems that on his way to the venue he collided with another car. The other car sped off without complaint but Mikey was badly hurt. He's been knocked unconscious and police are waiting to interview him when he wakes up.

Which also meant the party had been cancelled.

To pay our respects, we all dressed in black and stayed at home.

When Alice and Rose had gone upstairs, I decided it was time to find another job. Grabbing the newspaper and a red marker, I found a comfortable seat at the kitchen table. It seemed like hours I was sat there, carefully reading each little ad. Only a few seemed suitable. I did try to only skim the pages but it didn't work. It was like looking for my first job all over again. That new feeling of responsibility and adult-hood, mixed with a sort of excitement and nervousness.

Most of the jobs you had to amazingly qualified for. Teachers, lawyers, business workers. I was qualified and I did have a degree in English, but what good is that when its not combined with something? English Lit. and Language are all I've ever been good at. I can't sew, play an instrument, paint, fix a car, work with kids, talk publicly, act, dance, sing. I was always the useless, clumsy girl in Highschool But because I was friends with Alice and Rosalie, the girls who every boy had a crush on, no one dared to tell me to my face. I knew they were thinking it but they never did say it.

I had my first kiss with a hugely popular boy but at the time, it wasn't obvious to me that it was just a heart-wrenching joke. Not only did I have a large crush on him, but he decided to spread the rumour that 'I was easy' and no one believed it was him who kissed me, not vice versa. Even Alice and Rose got it into their heads that I was ditching them for a boy. For the first time in my life, I felt absolutely ashamed of myself and wished I could die. I lost everything that day: my reputation, my friends, the boy I really liked, or maybe even loved.

Luckily, just a few days later, I got my revenge. No one seemed to know I was good at practical jokes.

I humiliated him just like he humiliated me. I was proud of myself that day, and still am. Having everything I liked taken away from me did leave a bruise, so I decided to do the same to him. At the time, he was dating Jessica. No one knew her last name. You'd say Jessica and everyone would instantly know who you meant.

I snuck into the school office and found out her last name was Kendra. I knew it was going to be embarrassing by the way she never told anyone. The only person who knew was her boyfriend. So I spread it. But added the little untrue detail that he started it.

Rumours go like the wind in most schools and mine was no different. Jess found out and to describe what happened next would be wrong; but it is hilariously funny that it still makes me laugh when I think about it.

She was furious at him. I knew he really didn't do it, but who would want to believe the 'easy' Highschool girl? So I stood by and watched. The whole school knew and the crowd was so big, the rest of the school was pretty much empty. She broke up with him, also publicly admitting that she was pregnant with his baby.

My harmless piece of revenge humiliated both him and jess. I know I shouldn't've, but I felt immensely proud of myself. And still, to this day, neither Jess nor her ex-boyfriend know it was me who embarrassed them. I don't plan on telling them either.

After Alice and Rose found out that I did it, neither one of them wanted to get on my bad side again.

A lot of things happened when I was at school, but not everything. I never once got a boyfriend. First kiss, first prom date, all that. But never once a boy to call my own. Don't think I'm jealous, but it would be nice to be able to say to people that 'he's my boyfriend'. I liked plenty of guys in Highschool, but none of them shared my feelings. Sometimes it upset me, sometimes it pleased me. But most of all, love was never on the same page as me.

So when I finished Highschool, preparing to go to college, I was hoping that would change. It never did. I did meet guys in college but I never liked them romantically. They were simply study-buddies. I also shared a dorm with a few guys. But we never talked much. If we did, it'd be a simple 'hello' or 'how are you?' and then we'd go on living our lives. Rose got a scare in college - she thought she might have been pregnant. Luckily, she wasn't. Alice almost got kicked out because she kept getting bad grades. And me? My biggest dilemma was finding a suitable spot to do an assignment.

Sometimes I wonder why Rose and Alice made me their friend. I'm not pretty, incredibly slim, sporty…I was everything opposite to them. But I wouldn't want to waste my time imagining why. Because, in a second, they could be gone. And I would be back at square 1 again.

The only boy who even portrayed the slightest romantic attraction to me, however annoying it may be, was Mike Newton. Even at my lowest point in life, he was there trying to help me get over it. It was incredibly annoying, but it was also quite sweet, to know that I may not be worthy for a different guy, but I was still worthy for him. If I liked him, I would've dated him, because he'd be the only boy to pay the tiniest amount of attention to me.

Even now. The last time I saw him was on our date. He looked so eager and excited, after all these years, and I thanked him by being a moody cow. I dreamt of him that night. He had walked me home and was leaning in to give me a lip-kiss. But I turned my head, so he ended up kissing my cheek…and then he fell to the floor and changed into a giant wolf. How odd. Mike the werewolf. I woke up at that point.

Alice and Rose say I'll meet someone eventually.

'You'll find someone, Bells. Trust me.'

'Yeah. Mr. Right is coming.'

Well if he is, he better hurry up. I'm starting to get impatient.


	15. Winter Wonderland In Autumn

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 12: Winter Wonderland…In Autumn

3 days later

"Stupid snow. Made me miss work." Rose moaned. During the night, it had decided to snow quite heavily, which caused the roads to become temporarily closed. It didn't bother me as much, considering I had no reason to leave the apartment, but to both Alice and Rosalie, it had ruined their day.

"Stop complaining," I said, "at least you got a day off work." I, being the only one in a good mood, was planning to spend the day building a snowman in the park. I had dressed quite excessively in a pair of dark jeans, a jumper, a thick coat, a wool hat, 2 pairs of gloves, thermal underwear and Wellington boots. Anyone who could see me would think I was going to spend the night in a fridge. But as long as I was warm, I didn't care.

Whilst my two roommates and best friends sulked indoors, I was busy down at the park having a blast. I was possibly the oldest person there, because of school closures. But I was having fun, so it didn't matter too much to me.

I rolled up a ball of snow in my hands and began to add it to the body of my snowman. I had already gathered a collection of twigs and stones for him for his arms and buttons. All he needed was a head and he would be complete.

"Fancy seeing you here," a familiar voice said from behind me. I dropped my snowball and turned around. Just as I predicted, Edward was there, dressed just as warmly as myself. He took a look at my snowman and smiled; a friendly, toothy smile. "Need help?" He asked. I nodded.

He knelt to the icy ground and rolled a ball of snow in his hand. As he stood up, I didn't know where to look, so I settled for resting them on a group of teenagers next to me. A boy was attempting to climb a tree without any shoes. He kept hopping from foot to foot because of the cold temperature. I laughed to myself.

Suddenly my arm stung and I realized I had been bit by a snowball. Edward waved and grinned at me from across the park. Had I really become that distracted as to not notice him move? Obviously so. I bent and quickly gathered a snowball, firing it in his direction. He neatly avoided it, but threw one at me. I wasn't so clever and it hit me right on my head. I shook the flakes out of my hair and hid behind my snowman for protection. I gathered several snowballs then, carrying only one at a time, I threw it over at him and hit him on the arm. He gave me a smug look and I picked a ready-made snowball, prepared to fight. But just as I was about to step out to battle, the boy climbing the tree fell to the floor, having slipped on some ice.

Not caring about my duel with Edward, I ran over to the boy and crouched down beside him.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

He said nothing but instead stared away past my head. I then saw his eyes close abruptly.

"Call an ambulance!" I shouted.

He suddenly sat up and laughed.

"Relax, lady. I'm fine."

He stood and went to join his friends by the tree. They looked at my shocked expression and giggled. Annoyed by their childish behaviour, I went to finish my snowman.

"That was heroic." Edward mocked from behind me.

I pulled a face. He obviously noticed.

"No, really. It was. You'd make it good in the emergency services."

"Really?" I asked, surprised by his compliment.

"Yes. Nurse Bella. I'll be sure to come to you if I ever have a problem." He winked.

And, before I had the chance to respond, he had gathered his things and begun walking home.


	16. IMPORTANT NOTICE PLEASE READ!

Dear Readers,

Just to let you guys know, that I am no longer continuing this story. Since starting it, I have lost interest in both it and Twilight and I have no intention of ever writing anything of it again. I am going to start to write for a reason, for a purpose. By 2012, I want a book published. And that, my dears, is why I can no longer continue, not that I want to.

Also, I have no time, nor patience to continue this story any further.

But, so you won't miss out, I am giving anyone the option of continuing this for me. Please, do whatever you like with the characters, and the plot; I really do not mind. If you decide to kill Bella, Edward, or any other characters, that is entirely your decision. Please do not email me or message me the chapters you write. I don't want nor need them. This story is completely beyond my control now.

If you want to carry it on, then please state in the description that the original was by me.

Other than that, I wish you good luck and I hope you enjoy carrying on my story.

Love, Becky.

(P.S. This isn't my only story on a permanent hiatus; all of my stories are from now on. This is the only one, however, that I am letting you finish for me. I may delete the rest of my stories, and leave this one up for any readers that want to continue it, and for people to use for inspiration, but it hasn't been decided. Good luck.)


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